- jim young

As I drove home from work tonight, I was momentarily distracted while I enjoyed the splendour of some of the Christmas Decorations that adorned the neighbourhood.

When I turned back to the task at hand – that being the care and control of two metric tonnes of steel, barrelling down the road at 50 kph, I realised I was quickly gaining on the rear end of a parked car.

I wouldn’t call it a near miss. I was never close to losing control and I had plenty of time to manoeuvre around the vehicle and safely continue on my merry way without any danger of injury to my passenger, any passersby or myself.

But I DO concede it was stupidity on my part.

And then it DID occur to me that, had my moment of stupidity lasted a few seconds longer, a disaster might not have been avoided.

I wondered what I might have been charged with. Careless driving, perhaps?

I don’t think it’s illegal to be stupid, although perhaps it should be.

If there were no serious injuries, with a clean record and a good lawyer, it’s conceivable that I could get off with a $200 fine, 6-demerit points and increased insurance rates.

BUT – if alcohol had been involved, I’m certain the charges would be much more serious.

The minimum penalty just for impaired driving – even without an accident, calls for a 1-year drivers license suspension and a $600 fine in addition to the increased insurance rate.

I wonder how fair that really is?

I do not mean to defend or diminish the seriousness of drinking and driving, but hey, let’s face it; most drunks don’t drink and drive ALL the time.

Can the same thing be said for stupid people? If you’re stupid – are you not stupid ALL the time?

If you are charged with drinking and driving – you always have the option to quit drinking, the next time you drive.

But if you are charged with stupid and driving – you can’t always just quit being stupid.

Maybe being stupid and driving should call for more serious charges.

So this Christmas Season, in addition to the age-old warnings of Don’t Drink & Drive I would like to add this new warning: Don’t Stupid & Drive.

- 30 -